The Song of Bernadette (1943)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Henry King

Writers:

George Seaton (screenplay)
Franz Werfel (novel)

Release Date:

April 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

Here is greatness . . . wonder . . . and majesty . . . no human words can describe!

Plot:

In 1858 France, Bernadette, an adolescent peasant girl, has a vision of "a beautiful lady" in the city dump...

Plot Keywords:

France | Dump | Church | Virgin Mary | Pilgrimage

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

William Eythe	...	Antoine Nicolau
Charles Bickford	...	Father Peyramale
Vincent Price	...	Prosecutor Vital Dutour
Lee J. Cobb	...	Dr. Dozous
Gladys Cooper	...	Sister Marie Therese Vauzous
Anne Revere	...	Louise Soubirous
Roman Bohnen	...	François Soubirous
Mary Anderson	...	Jeanne Abadie
Patricia Morison	...	Empress Eugenie
Aubrey Mather	...	Mayor Lacade
Charles Dingle	...	Jacomet
Edith Barrett	...	Croisine Bouhouhorts
Sig Ruman	...	Louis Bouriette
Blanche Yurka	...	Aunt Bernarde Casterot
Ermadean Walters	...	Marie Soubirous
Marcel Dalio	...	Callet
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Dr. LeCramps (as Pedro De Cordoba)
Jerome Cowan	...	Emperor Louis Napoleon III
Jennifer Jones	...	Bernadette
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Louis V. Arco	...	Franciscan Monk (uncredited)
Hooper Atchley	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Louis Bacigalupi	...	Man (uncredited)
Charles Bates	...	Adolard Bouhouhorts - Age 7 (uncredited)
Tala Birell	...	Madame Leontine Bruat (uncredited)
Fortunio Bonanova	...	Imperial Prince Louis (uncredited)
Eugene Borden	...	Gendarme (uncredited)
Lionel Braham	...	Baron Massey (uncredited)
Nana Bryant	...	Mere Imbert (uncredited)
Marie Carrozza	...	Bernadette's Schoolmate (uncredited)
André Charlot	...	Bishop of Nevers (uncredited)
Davison Clark	...	Dominican Monk (uncredited)
Edward Clark	...	Hospital Attendant (uncredited)
Marjorie Cooley	...	Woman (uncredited)
Harry Cording	...	Stonemason (uncredited)
Armand Cortes	...	Franciscan Monk (uncredited)
Elvira Curci	...	Woman (uncredited)
Frank Dae	...	Man (uncredited)
Adrienne D'Ambricourt	...	Woman (uncredited)
Linda Darnell	...	The Virgin Mary (uncredited)
Jean De Briac	...	Dominican Monk (uncredited)
Claudine De Luc	...	Woman (uncredited)
Jean Del Val	...	Estrade (uncredited)
Jo-Carroll Dennison	...	Young Nun (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Harry Denny	...	Priest (uncredited)
Alicia Díaz	...	Bernadette's Schoolmate (uncredited)
Pat Dillon	...	Adolard Bouhouhorts - as Infant (uncredited)
John Dilson	...	Doctor (uncredited)
George Du Count	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Fernanda Eliscu	...	Woman (uncredited)
Edythe Elliott	...	Woman (uncredited)
Fred Essler	...	Minister of Justice (uncredited)
Edward Fielding	...	Doctor with Empress' Baby (uncredited)
Antonio Filauri	...	Dominican Monk (uncredited)
Curt Furburg	...	Franciscan Monk (uncredited)
Ernest Golm	...	Scientist (uncredited)
John Maxwell Hayes	...	Father Pomian (uncredited)
Hans Herbert	...	Scientist (uncredited)
Margaret Hoffman	...	Woman (uncredited)
Arthur Hohl	...	Monk (uncredited)
Edward Keane	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Manart Kippen	...	Charles Bouhouhorts (uncredited)
Frank Lackteen	...	Man (uncredited)
Charles La Torre	...	Duran (uncredited)
Fritz Leiber	...	Monk (uncredited)
Frank Leigh	...	Cleric (uncredited)
Connie Leon	...	Woman (uncredited)
Mae Marsh	...	Woman (uncredited)
Alphonse Martell	...	Man (uncredited)
Louis Mercier	...	Huckster (uncredited)
Joyce Miller	...	Bernadette's Schoolmate (uncredited)
Belle Mitchell	...	Woman (uncredited)
Dickie Moore	...	Adolard Bouhouhorts - Age 15 (uncredited)
Eula Morgan	...	Madame Nicolau (uncredited)
Alan Napier	...	Dr. Debeau (uncredited)
Mayo Newhall	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Moroni Olsen	...	Chaplain (uncredited)
Nestor Paiva	...	Maisongrosse (uncredited)
Alex Papana	...	Man (uncredited)
Nino Pipitone Jr.	...	Justin Soubirous (uncredited)
Nino Pipitone	...	Mayor's Secretary (uncredited)
Marie Pope	...	Woman (uncredited)
Frank Reicher	...	Dr. St. Cyr (uncredited)
Julian Rivero	...	Dominican Monk (uncredited)
Stephen Roberts	...	Man (uncredited)
Ruth Robinson	...	Nun (uncredited)
Merrill Rodin	...	Jean Soubirous (uncredited)
Irina Semochenko	...	Bernadette's Schoolmate (uncredited)
Muni Seroff	...	Man (uncredited)
Dorothy Shearer	...	Mother Superior (uncredited)
William Smith	...	(uncredited)
George Sorel	...	Franciscan Monk (uncredited)
Edwin Stanley	...	Mr. Jones (uncredited)
Tom Stevenson	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Minerva Urecal	...	Woman Describing Baby's Recovery (uncredited)
Edward Van Sloan	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Charles Wagenheim	...	Water Thief Sent to Jail (uncredited)
Charles Waldron	...	Bishop of Tarbes (uncredited)
Geraldine Wall	...	Nun (uncredited)
Lucille Ward	...	Woman (uncredited)
Ruth Warren	...	Woman (uncredited)
Cecil Weston	...	Woman (uncredited)
Ian Wolfe	...	Minister of the Interior (uncredited)

Directed by
Henry King

Writing credits
George Seaton		(screenplay)
Franz Werfel		(novel)

Produced by
William Perlberg	....	producer

Original Music by
Alfred Newman

Cinematography by
Arthur C. Miller		(director of photography) (as Arthur Miller)

Film Editing by
Barbara McLean

Art Direction by
James Basevi
William S. Darling		(as William Darling)

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
René Hubert		(as Rene Hubert)

Makeup Department
Guy Pearce	....	makeup artist
Ray Sebastian	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
William Goetz	....	in charge of production
Robert D. Webb	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joseph C. Behm	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Albert R. Broccoli	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Frank E. Hughes	....	associate set decorator

Sound Department
Alfred Bruzlin	....	sound
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)
Edmund H. Hansen	....	sound director (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Fred Sersen	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Joseph LaShelle	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)

Music Department
Edward B. Powell	....	music arranger: orchestral arrangements (as Edward Powell)

Other crew
David O. Selznick	....	Jennifer Jones appears by arrangement with
Lionel Bevans	....	dialogue director (uncredited)
Father J.J. Devlin	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Ludwig Lewisohn	....	translator: novel (uncredited)
Laure Lourie	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Father Mullane	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Franz Werfel	....	production advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1943) (USA) (theatrical)
• Central Motion Picture Exchange (1949) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1954) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1958) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1965) (USA) (TV)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Works Editora (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Tocantins (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Franz Werfel's The Song of Bernadette (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

156 min | 158 min (copyright length)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #9317) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Netherlands:AL (2008) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:S | Germany:12 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Jennifer Jones had made other films before this, but only under her real name, Phyllis Isley. In an effort to make the public believe that she was "discovered" for this film, her screen credit reads "and introducing Jennifer Jones as Bernadette."

Goofs:

Continuity: When the Lady asks Bernadette to wash herself in the spring, Bernadette digs a hole and smears her face and hands with dark black mud. Moments later as the onlookers mock her, her aunt and mother take her away and the mud is gone from both her hands, while only slight fingermarks of mud remain on her cheeks.

Quotes:

Father Pomian: [speaking metaphorically] A few minutes ago it was very dark. It's much lighter now.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Biography: Linda Darnell: Hollywood's Fallen Angel" (1999)

One sublime scene

The weighty subject matter and emotional performances overshadow the film's flaws, which are numerous. Characters and events are not adequately introduced, leaving the viewer with a persistent, though not overwhelming, confusion. It runs a little long, and at times loses focus. But "The Song of Bernadette" has much to redeem it. This is true black and white cinematography, and Henry King uses highly effective lighting techniques to enhance his actors' performances. The bright lighting and soft focus on Jennifer Jones, for example, makes her angelic pose of peace believable.

One scene near the end of the film is utterly beautiful, and truly makes the movie. It takes place at a convent after Bernadette has been accepted as a nun. Sister Marie Vauzous, who has doubted Bernadette the entire film, stands over her in a pose of authority and accuses her of trying to get attention. Sister Marie is lit from an angle at sharp focus, which accentuates the lines and imperfections of her face as she asks for "proof" and laments about her own suffering. Meanwhile, Bernadette is lit straight on with a soft focus as usual, and the smoothness of her peaceful, humble face is perfect and divine. She agrees with Sister Marie that she is "a hundred times more worthy" than herself, all the while hiding the true nature of her own suffering. It is at this point that the Christian theme of salvation through suffering which has meandered its way through the film really makes its point, and it is a genuinely moving moment.